


Alpha's

by youngowl



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, At least I try, F/F, Humor, Mainly Trimberly, Mild Language, background Giemma, background cranscott - Freeform, background ships, trimberly - Freeform, troy is just there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngowl/pseuds/youngowl
Summary: Trini has always wanted to have a job in high school. Call her weird, but she’s not oblivious to her family’s financial struggles. Raising three kids is expensive, and Trini always steps up and helps whenever necessary. Laundry, dishes, dinner? She’s got it. Money? That was harder to scrounge up.Alpha’s was only ten minutes away from her house, and Trini loved the atmosphere of it. It had the same vibe as a coffee shop, and most people would spend hours there doing schoolwork. It was known to be more ‘classy’ than regular run-of-the-mill fast food restaurants, and their food was known to be healthier as well. Trini has been going there weekly since freshman year, so she figured it was the best option for her first job experience.aka these kids are in senior year, and they're just trying their best.
Relationships: Kimberly Hart/Trini
Comments: 11
Kudos: 60





	Alpha's

The bell above the entrance jingled as she walked into the restaurant. 

A head popped up from behind the counter, “S’up Trin!” 

“Nothing much homeboy,” she gave Zack a high five, making her way to the back to grab an apron. She pinned her nametag to it, which simply said  _ Trini _ in bold sharpie. At Zack’s complaint of her “being boring,” there was a doodle of a small lightning bolt, the signature logo of  _ Alpha’s _ . 

She made her way back to the cash register, chuckling at the sight of Zack trying to balance multiple water bottles in his arms. He was restocking the refrigerator in front of the counter, and Trini offered absolutely no help as he maneuvered his way to the front. 

He glared at her. “You know, you could lend me a hand.”

“Yeahhh,” she tilted her head, pursing her lips as she thought about it. “Nope.”

He rolled his eyes, not paying attention as his foot caught in the carpet. Trini blinked, and she opened her eyes to eight water bottles rolling around one Zack, who was sprawled face down on the floor in shame. 

Trini burst out in laughter. After five minutes of Zack pouting on the ground, she sobered up and went to gather the runaway drinks. 

It’s never boring at  _ Alpha’s _ . 

~~~

Trini has always wanted to have a job in high school. Call her weird, but she’s not oblivious to her family’s financial struggles. Raising three kids is expensive, and Trini always steps up and helps whenever necessary. Laundry, dishes, dinner? She’s got it. Money? That was harder to scrounge up. 

She got her license a while ago, but she didn’t want to commit to a job unless she had her own form of transportation, ergo, her own car. Her mom offered to drive her, but Trini didn’t want it to be another hassle. The whole point of her getting a job was to take the stress off her parents, not add to it. 

But then, the summer before her junior year, her parents surprised her with her own car for her birthday. It was used, a little old, and had a sticker of a tiger on the back windshield that they couldn’t take out. But it got her from point A to point B, and Trini couldn’t be more grateful. 

Not too long after that, she got a job at a nearby fast food restaurant.  _ Alpha’s _ was only ten minutes away from her house, and Trini loved the atmosphere of it. It had the same vibe as a coffee shop, and most people would spend hours there doing schoolwork. It was known to be more ‘classy’ than regular run-of-the-mill fast food restaurants, and their food was known to be healthier as well. Trini has been going there weekly since freshman year, so she figured it was the best option for her first job experience. 

After she’s been there for a while, she managed to get Zack to apply since he was thinking of getting a second job. He already worked at the indoor trampoline place down the road, but he told her he needed more money to pay for his mom’s new medications. 

(Getting her best friend to work at the same place as her was the best decision she’s ever made.)

One time, they had a customer who was definitely in a different world, mentally. Trini asked him if he wanted an apple to go with his meal. 

He squinted at her in confusion before asking, “What’s an apple?”

Deadpan. One hundred percent serious.

Zack overheard the conversation and got the most wicked grin on his face. He joined her side at her cash register, before proceeding to mess with the poor man. 

“You know iPhones?”

He nodded slowly. 

Zack leaned in, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Well, they’re made by  _ apples _ .”

The guy’s eyes bugged out. He looked side to side, before leaning in. “So, you’re saying I can be the next Bob Ross?”

Zack smiled cheekily. “Yup! Would you like one with your mac and cheese?”

Trini couldn’t hold in her laughter.

(They later saw the man holding the apple next to his ear, as if speaking to someone on the phone.)

~~~

“You on dining room tonight?” Trini asked as she refilled the cup dispenser. 

“Yup.” Zack nodded. “Billy’s coming later so you’re not the only cashier during rush hour.” 

The entrance opened, the familiar jingle of the bell filling the air. Both their heads turned, a smile making its way on their faces. 

“Hey! The devil answers when you speak of him!” Zack frowned. “… Is that the phrase?”

Trini greeted Billy, telling him to ignore Zack’s remark. Not too soon after Billy got set up, the line started getting long for the dinner rush. Zack left the counter to actually do his job and clean up the tables, while Trini and Billy plastered on smiles (one fake, one genuine). 

~

Kimberly looked at the clock. Ten minutes left. She groaned, starting to pack her homework away. 

“Why are you complaining? You only have to come here for one day, while I rot in here for the rest of the week.”

She looked at Jason with an unimpressed look. “That’s only because you keep letting yourself take the fall for your stupid teammate’s actions. I just wasn't good at cheating.”

He sighed. “Kim, I already told you-”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re the captain and they’re your responsibility. Well, screw that! You should let them take responsibility for themselves!”

The teacher in the front glared at them. “May I remind you students, that this is a silent detention.”

Kimberly gave him a sarcastic smile. She felt a tap on her shoulder and just shrugged at Jason’s disapproving look. 

He just shook his head at her pettiness. “You wanna grab food when this is over?”

She hummed in thought. “I have cheer photos right after this, but I could go after.”

~

The dinner rush was finally dying down, leaving only one last person, who was taking forever to choose between a BLT and a grilled cheese. Billy, ever the angel, stayed patient, answering any questions they had. Trini always respected him, and she gave him huge props for always being able to handle the more difficult customers. 

Knowing he'd be fine on his own for a bit, Trini went to the back to start setting everything up for closing. She passed by Rita, one of their managers, who was stuck on drive through since someone called out last minute. 

“Hey, Rita, where are all the pastry boxes?” 

“Up your ass.” The older woman paused, before touching her headset. “Sorry about that sir, what can I get for you today?”

Trini, at her manager’s glare, had to pass off her chuckle as a cough. When the driver finished ordering, Rita covered her microphone. “In the back, top shelf.” She raised an eyebrow, piercing green eyes looking Trini up and down. “No climbing shelves, Gomez. Use the ladder this time.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Trini lied through her teeth.

A quick near death experience later, she came back out with a box almost as big as her. She made her way back to the front, not surprised to see the same customer  _ still _ with Billy. She placed the box in the proper place for later, listening in as the customer ended up ordering a salad. They paid for their meal and left, finally giving the cashiers a chance to breathe. 

“That was quite busier than usual.”

“Yeah, Bill. It was.” Trini sighed. “I don’t know if I can keep this smile on for any longer.” 

The bell jingled again, and she had to suppress a groan. Billy automatically perked up, greeting the two teenagers who walked in. Trini looked up, raising an eyebrow.

It was a girl and a guy, and she vaguely recognized their faces. The guy had a plain red t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. A light blue varsity jacket rested on his shoulders, matching the light blue beanie on his head. The jacket had the words ‘ANGEL GROVE’ embroidered on the front. Trini internally rolled her eyes. Private school, of course.

The girl was wearing heeled boots, leggings, and a fluffy, light pink, pullover jacket. Her short, dark hair rested above her shoulders, perfectly framing her face. She was clutching an expensive looking wallet, along with the latest phone model, both of which were varying shades of pink. 

They looked like a couple. 

(Trini tried to tell herself she didn’t care).

They were talking to each other, trying to decide what to get. 

“Jason, you deserve to give yourself a break once in a while.  _ One _ mac and cheese won’t set you back with your workout plan.” The girl rolled her eyes when her friend still seemed unsure.

“Our mac and cheese really doesn’t have that many calories. In fact, a lot of people tend to order it when they need more carbohydrates. It isn’t that unhealthy, and I’d argue that more people should include it in their diet plan.” 

They blinked at Billy. Trini, used to his mini food lessons, just chuckled. She nodded her head at the jock. “Just get a mac and cheese, dude.”

The girl turned her head to Trini, and their eyes locked. She shoved her friend toward Billy’s register, before meandering to Trini. 

“Have I seen you around before? I swear, you look  _ so _ familiar.” 

Trini tilted her head. “Maybe? What’s your name?”

“Kimberly.” 

“Doesn’t ring a bell, sorry.” She shook her head. “Well, what can I get for you, Kimberly?”

“I’ll take a half chicken caesar salad, and . . . ” she pursed her lips. “What would you recommend . . .” her eyes flickered down, “Trini?”

Trini shifted on her feet. “Well, it depends on what you like. Do you want a hot or cold sandwich? Pasta? Soup?” 

Kim hummed in thought. “How about a cold sandwich.”

“Then I’d recommend our roasted turkey avocado. It’s my personal favorite.” 

“Oh, then I  _ have _ to try that.” Kim smiled, and Trini had to clear her throat. She asked what side she wanted with her meal, to which Kim responded with, “the  _ juiciest _ apple you have.” 

Somehow, Trini made it through her order. In her peripheral vision, Jason seemed really flustered, and he kept messing up the transaction by taking his credit card out too early. Kim snorted when he finally did it properly.

Kim smirked at Trini. “Unlike my best friend over there, I know when to pull out,” she winked and quickly took Jason’s arm to go find a seat, leaving a sputtering Trini in the wake. 

~

Zack wasn’t having the best day at work. He started it off with a nice face plant on the floor, with no help from the short latina he calls a best friend. A customer took out their anger on him for the soda machine not working, despite him calmly explaining that someone was gonna come and fix it in twenty minutes. And to top it off, he just spilled a gallon of iced tea on the floor, which he immediately slipped in. 

Okay, that was a little funny, not gonna lie. 

But now he had to clean it up. It’s just one of those days, huh. Sighing, he placed a wet floor sign before running to the back to grab the mop.

“Taylor! Grab me a bag of chips while you’re back there.”

“You got it, Rita.” He rolled his eyes. “Taylor, give me this cause I can’t move ten steps, apparently.”

“I heard that!”

“No you didn’t!” He tossed her the chips, meeting her eye roll with a cheeky grin, before racing out to clean up his mess. His path got blocked by an unfairly well built jock.

“Woah! Slow it down, dude. You almost ran right into that puddle.” The dude was nice. Surprising, considering the Angel Grove varsity jacket he was wearing.

Zack held his hand out, the jock quick to shake it. “Thanks bro. I already met my quota of falling on my face today.”

The girl next to him looked at their hands in awe. “Do all guys have a universal ‘bro’ handshake?”

They looked at each other, before turning back to her. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Yeah, okay.” She stepped around the puddle, going to fill up her cup with soda. “Hey, uh, your machine’s broken.”

Zack sighed. “Yup, we know. Someone’s coming to fix it soon.” 

~

“He was cute, yeah?”

Billy tilted his head at Trini’s question. “Are you interested in Jason? I was under the assumption that you like girls, romantically.”

Trini shook her head. “Yes, Bill. I do like girls.” She turned to face him fully. “I meant, did  _ you _ think he was cute?”

At his confused expression, paired with his lack of words for once, Trini got her answer. She smiled softly. “Hey, I don’t want to pressure you into anything. He seemed like a really nice guy, but you don’t have to pursue anything you don’t want to.” 

He nodded in response, and Trini knew he was internally categorizing his thoughts on the subject. They worked in silence for a bit, Trini gathering bottles of iced tea in her arms to restock the refrigerator, while Billy methodically organized the bakery case to look better. The typical workday with Billy consisted of working in silence, and that’s one of the things Trini loved about him. He didn’t try to awkwardly start a conversation because the silence bothered him. Similar to Trini, he appreciated the silence; it was relaxing, calming. It was a good contrast to the stressful hours of their shift - rush hours, difficult customers, Rita, etc. 

Loud laughing came into earshot, followed by the sight of Jason and Kimberly heading for the exit. Their heads turned in unison, catching sight of the cashiers, and their steps faltered. 

“Actually Jase, I think I’m gonna get another drink.”

“Yeah, me too.” 

Both teenagers quickly made their way to their choice of register. Kimberly smiled at Trini, and Trini bit her lip anxiously. Light brown eyes followed the movement.

Kimberly cleared her throat. “What drinks do you like?” Kim’s hands came up, moving through the air as she talked. “I really liked the sandwich you recommended, you have really good taste.” Pause. “In food! Obviously.” She looked down with a nervous chuckle. 

Trini swears her heart burst from cuteness. This Kimberly - nervous, anxious, fidgeting - was not what she expected, especially following the innuendo she left her with prior. “I’d say we have really good iced tea. I actually just restocked them, so there should be plenty.”

“Sounds good.” The taller girl grabbed one from the fridge, not even paying attention. Trini chose not to mention that she grabbed a bottle of lemonade, not a bottle of tea. She pursed her lips in amusement, silently ringing her up.

“So, uh, how long have you been working here? I come here all the time and I haven’t seen you around.”

Trini handed her the receipt. “A couple months, actually. But I mostly work weekends. I rarely work after school, I picked up a shift for my coworker today.”

Kim gave a hum of acknowledgement. “Okay. Guess that just means I gotta start coming in on Saturdays.” 

Trini opened her mouth, only for nothing to come out. Kim winked at her, again, before grabbing Jason’s elbow and leading them outside. Trini unabashedly stared at the closing door, mouth still open in shock. 

“Yo, T! You trying to catch flies up there?”

Her mouth snapped shut. In any other situation, she would flip Zack off with some sort of comeback. Unfortunately, there were customers within earshot, so she settled for sticking her tongue out at him.

“Um, Trini?” She turned around to see a nervous Billy. He was holding a receipt in his hands like it was a precious artifact.

“What’s up?”

He held out the paper. “What does this mean?”   
  


Confused, she took it gingerly. Her eyes widened. On the back of the receipt, in sloppy handwriting, was a number with the message “text me sometime.” Trini couldn’t contain her bright smile. 

“Way to go, Bill! This is so good!” She held out her arms expectantly, and his eyes lit up, recognizing the gesture. They hugged, and he patted her back awkwardly. 

“Cranston! Go on your break.”

They pulled away at Rita’s bark of an order. Billy blinked at Trini’s delighted expression. 

“Billy! This is perfect!”

~

“Jason, I swear to god.” Kim rolled her eyes, getting in the passenger seat of his car. Looking back at his face, she snorted at his offended expression. “It’s been less than five minutes. And he’s  _ working _ . Didn’t he tell you that they were both gonna be there for a while, or something?”

“He actually said he’s legally not allowed to share his co-workers’ schedules.” He smiled while buckling in his seatbelt. “But he did say that he was closing today. I’m not sure about your girl.”

Kim sighed. “She’s not my girl.”

“Yeah, what’s that about?” He put the key in the ignition, quickly turning the heat on full blast. The autumn weather was quick to remind them of the winter chills coming soon. “Kim, you usually jump at every opportunity to give a cute girl your number.” 

“Shut up. I’m not a  _ player _ .”

Her best friend snorted. “Really?” He cleared his throat. He hasn’t started driving yet, so he brought his hands up, ready to prove a point. “Let’s see here,” he started counting on his fingers, “Amanda, Harper, Gia, Tori-”

“Stop!” Kim glared at him. “Fine, I may have a  _ reputation. _ ”

Jason gave her a look. He sighed as he pulled out of the parking space. “Okay, I won’t push it. But she definitely had eyes for you.”

“Whatever, just hand me the aux. Your music taste sucks.”

The conversation shifted gears to how Jason only listens to pop music on the radio, and Kimberly’s neverending attempts to convince him to like different genres. 

“I’m bi, Jason. Of course I like Billie Eilish. But just cause-” Kim cut herself off when she heard Jason’s phone ping with a text notification. Both of them glanced down at it in confusion. Most of their friends communicated through social media, not regular texting. 

Jason looked back at the road. “Can you get that for me? It might be my dad.”

Kimberly picked up his phone, entering her birthday as the four-digit passcode. She made it that way to spite him after an argument, and he never bothered to change it. 

She opened his messages. “It’s from an unknown number. ‘Hi Jason, it’s Billy from  _ Alpha’s _ .’” Her eyes widened. She ignored Jason’s incoherent stutters. “‘This is Jason, right?’”

“Yes!” His voice went unnaturally high, and Kim snorted at the dork she calls her best friend. He cleared his throat. “Say ‘Hi Billy, yes, this is Jason’ with a smiley face.” Jason pulled over and parked on the side of the road while Kim texted out his response. She handed him his phone just as Billy’s message popped up. 

Jason read it quickly, before looking up at the road. He turned to Kim. “You don’t have to be home until later, right?” At her nod, he smiled. “We’re going back to  _ Alpha’s _ .”

~

Trini sighed in relief. After Billy went on break, it wasn’t busy at all, allowing her to finish her duties before she left. Everything was sorted, so all she had left to do was wipe down some shelves and mop the floor. The door opened, and she raised an eyebrow. 

Jason gave her an awkward smile and wave, before going to the tables and out of her sight. 

_ Go Billy _ , Trini thought to herself. 

She went back to cleaning the shelves behind her, occasionally helping out a customer or two. One customer took a while to order, but he was being very polite so Trini didn’t mind. She complimented his leather jacket, and he simply thanked her without flirting. Points in her book.

“All right, name for the order?” 

“Troy.”

She heard the door open as she typed his name. “Okay, total will be…” she looked up, catching sight of a familiar pink top. 

She turned to the new guest. “Hey, what’s up?”

Kimberly’s eyes darted between Trini and the customer, her eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. A pause. “I… can’t find my wallet!”

“Oh.” Trini quickly finished up the transaction, handing Troy his receipt. She turned back to Kim, who was grimacing. “Hey, don’t worry about it! I can help you go look for it.” After she finished that sentence, a family of six walked into the restaurant. Just her luck. Kim pursed her lips with an expression Trini couldn’t decipher. 

Trini bit her lip. “Okay, new plan. Billy should be back there, so he can definitely help you.”

Kimberly nodded, hesitating before silently leaving to the tables. Trini forced herself to not stare, instead putting her attention on the customers, internally cursing at her missed opportunity to spend time with the cute girl. 

~

Billy got up with his plate, ready to throw out his trash. “Thank you for staying with me while I was on break. I can’t believe you guys were still in the parking lot! What a coincidence.”

Jason laughed nervously. “Yeah! Yeah, it was good timing.” He cleared his throat. “So, uh, I wouldn’t be opposed to hanging out with you again, sometime?”

“Me neither!” Billy visibly lightened up, his smile matching the brightness of his eyes. “Not a lot of people hang out with me. My full name is Billy Cranston, and kids used to make fun of me by calling me ‘Billy Crams-ton of crayons up his butt’. I act differently than most kids our age.” His attention focused behind Jason. “Oh, hi Kimberly!”

Jason turned around. “Yeah, hi Kim…” He gave her a look. She said she wanted to stay in the car because she ‘didn’t want to interfere with his date’. From years of friendship, he knew that she just wanted to avoid the girl in the front, for whatever reason.

“What brings you back inside? Trini is working right now, I’m afraid. And my break ends soon, so I’m assuming Jason will leave, as well. Oh, did you order something else?”

Kim fumbled for a sec. “I just came back in to say hi. So, uh, hi Billy.”

Jason felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a dark-haired guy around his age, wearing a red shirt and a leather jacket. “Hey, I think you left your stuff on that table.” 

His cheeks burned. He was so invested in talking to Billy, that he didn’t think to grab his phone when they got up. “Thanks, man.”

“No worries, dude.” Mr. Leather Jacket turned to Kim. “Hey, were you able to find your wallet?”

“Oh, um-”

“You lost your wallet?” Billy asked.

Jason raised an eyebrow at her. They both knew that her wallet was sitting comfortably in the pocket of his varsity jacket. “Yeah, how’d that happen?” He smirked, fully enjoying the flash of panic in her eyes. Kim narrowed her eyes at him, and he subtly held his hands up in surrender. He wasn’t gonna call out her lie, he wanted to see where this went.

Billy, unaware of the silent conversation they were having, just looked toward the tables in concern. “Where were you guys sitting?” 

Kim pointed to the booth. “Over there, but it’s fine-”

“Cranston! Your break ended last week, keep a move on!” Rita yelled, coming out from the back with Zack in tow.

Rita needed to fill out paperwork, so, naturally, Zack had to do it. He looked up from the clipboard in his hands. “Hey, it’s you guys! Didn’t you leave a while ago?”

Billy turned to his manager. “I am extremely sorry, Rita, but a customer can’t find her wallet.”

Kim gave a tense smile at the rude, but surprisingly attractive, lady. “I’m sorry to be a hassle.”

Rita turned to her, and Kim gulped in fear. The manager rolled her eyes. “Save your apologies, I get it. I once left my gold ring at a pizza place. Went full-on bitch crazy when I found it in a slice of hawaiin, in the hands of a sticky-fingered toddler.”

Kim blinked. “I’m… sorry?”

“Yeah, yeah, I left with the ring, but I also left with another restraining order.” Rita left no time for them to process  _ that _ sentence. “Cranston, go clock back in, then check the dining area. Taylor, after you’re done with that paperwork, check the back to see if anyone put it in the lost and found.” She put her hand on her headset, starting to take an order as she walked away. 

“I’ll go help Billy.” Jason announced. He had to bite his tongue at Kim’s hidden panic as the small snowball lie kept rolling and gaining traction down the steep hill.

“I can help, too.” Mr. Leather Jacket offered. 

The three guys left, leaving Kim with Zack. He tilted his head with a knowing look in his eye. “Why are you lying?” He chuckled when her mouth dropped in shock. “If I remember correctly, I saw a nice, pink wallet sitting in that football player’s pocket. The same one you were holding earlier.”

~

Trini sighed, leaning against the counter in exhaustion. She looked at the clock. Two more hours until her shift ends. She groaned, pushing off the counter and stretching. The bell jingled again, and she had to suppress another groan. The customers never  _ end _ . 

She looked up, her customer service expression melting into a genuine smile. “Oh, hey Emma!” 

Emma was a school friend, as Trini would describe it. They had a few of the same classes at school. They usually partnered up during gym class; Both of them were naturally more sporty than most girls, and both of them wanted a challenge in competitions. Judging by the expensive camera hanging around her neck, she was working today. Emma had a passion for photography, and her work showed how much she cared.

“Hi Trini.”

Trini tilted her head at the girl’s lack of enthusiasm. Ignoring it, she quickly took her order. Handing over the receipt, Trini asked, “Something up?”

Emma took a deep breath, putting the receipt in her pocket. “Nothing I can’t handle. I did a photoshoot for Angel Grove’s cheerleading team earlier today.”

Trini grimaced. “That does not sound like my definition of fun.”

“Yeah, each girl wanted at least 5 shots, checking each one, before they were satisfied with their picture.” 

“Was it good money, at least?”

“Oh, a hundred percent worth it. The coach saw my portfolio and told me I was the best photographer in town. She also said, and I quote, ‘My girls deserve the best.’ ”

Trini snorted. “Yup, sounds about right.”

“Wanna know the worst part?” Emma leaned in, lowering her voice a little. “My girlfriend’s ex is on the team.”

“Gia dated someone from that hellhole?  _ Gia Moran _ ?” 

Emma pursed her lips and nodded. “Yeah, out of all of Gia’s past flings, that one was definitely one of the worst. If Satan wore pink and high heels, it’d be her.”

Trini chuckled. Seeing there were no other customers in line, she kept up the conversation with Emma. “Did anything interesting happen during the photoshoot? Any catfights?”

“I did notice some tension between some girls. I’m pretty sure at least half the team slept with each other. And if not each other, each others’  _ boyfriends _ .” 

Trini scoffed. “Definitely sounds like Angel Grove cheerleaders.” 

“What sounds like Angel Grove cheerleaders?”

Both of them turned their heads to see Kim with a curious expression. Jason was visible in the background, not that Trini could pay attention to anything else.

“S'up.”

“Kim. Long time no see.”

Trini furrowed her eyebrows at Emma’s greeting. 

“Emma. Were you talking about our super fun photoshoot earlier?” Kim turned to Trini with a smile. “All good things, I hope.”

“Actually, I was just about to mention how you’re all manipulative little-”

“Kim! Were you able to find your wallet?” Trini cut in, before passing a quick glance at Emma. She’s never seen the other girl this worked up before. She looked back at Kim with an awkward smile.

“No, actually. But they said to leave my name and number, just in case you guys find it later.” Kim walked up to the counter, holding out a piece of paper.

Trini slowly took it, confused at Emma’s glare out of the corner of her eye. Her gay uselessness overpowered her confusion as her fingers made contact with Kim’s, sending a small chill through her arm. 

Kim smirked, and she leaned in to whisper in Trini’s ear. “And while I was at it, I also wrote down my socials. If I’m gonna take you on a date, we need a way of communicating.” She pulled back, her ego inflating at Trini’s flushed face. 

“Y-Yeah. I’ll hit you up.” 

Kim blew her a kiss, sent a pointed look at Emma, then took Jason’s arm and led them out the doors.

Emma rolled her eyes. 

Trini looked at her. “What was that about?”

“ _ That _ was Satan.”

Trini opened her mouth, only to close it, not knowing what to say. “Oh.” She frowned at the paper in her hand, before looking back up at Emma. “What has she done that is so bad, anyway?”

“That’s… not my story to tell. Just know that she started that rumor about Gia two years ago. But Trini, I’m telling you this because you’re my friend.  _ Stay away _ from Kimberly Hart. If anything happens with her, you’ll only end up burned.”

~

Zack whooped in excitement as the maintenance guy finally fixed their soda machine. He gave him a solid handshake. “You’re the best, dude.”

As he watched the guy leave, Zack noticed his pint sized friend sitting down at one of the tables with a large drink in hand. She had her bomber jacket on and her keys around her neck, indicating her shift was probably over. 

He made his way over. “Hey, something up?” He took the seat across from her.

Trini took a second to gather her thoughts. She looked up. “What do you think of Kim? The girl who lost her wallet earlier? Billy said almost the whole place was helping her try to find it.”

“Oh, she didn’t actually lose her wallet.” 

Trini, who was taking a sip of her drink, choked a little at his response. “What?!”

“Yeah, she just wanted an excuse to give you her phone number.” Zack wiggled his eyebrows. “ _ So _ , are you gonna hit her up? Pull your Trini G moves and snag a girlfriend for senior year?”

She glared at him. 

He raised his hands up in surrender. “Okay! Maybe not a girlfriend. Maybe a fling, at least? She’s hot, and you know it.”

Trini sighed. “She has a history.” At his confused look, she explained what Emma said. “And after she tells me that, speak of the devil, Kim was right there.”

Zack’s eyes lit up. “That’s the expression!” He slouched a little at her pointed look. “Go on.” 

“She gave me her number and left, and Emma basically told me to never talk to Kim, again.” Trini sighed. She chewed on her lip in thought. She looked up at her best friend, indecisiveness oozing off her. Despite his dumb antics, she knew she could confide in Zack. “What should I do? She has a pretty bad reputation, and I don’t wanna get into something that’s destined to just hurt me in the end.”

Zack took a deep breath. After a second, he started off slowly, trying to figure out what to say that would help her. “Kim seemed pretty chill. I caught her on her lie, and she said she got so nervous around you that she didn’t know what to say when she came inside that second time. She didn’t want to be rude because you were with a customer, and that was the best excuse her brain could come up with.” Zack chuckled, swiping Trini’s drink and taking a sip despite her protests. He gave it back to her. “Point is, she really likes you. And who are you to judge people off their reputation? Everyone at school thinks you hate them because of your resting Trini face.”

“That’s because I do hate everyone, jackass.” She chuckled. They both smiled at each other.

He leaned back in his chair. “I say go for it. It’s senior year, so if it doesn’t work out, we’ll be off to college, and you won’t have to see her ever again.” He looked to the back as they both heard Rita yelling his name. 

Trini smirked at his look of dread. “Go do your job, homeboy. Thanks for the advice.” 

He gave her a toothy smile and held his hand out for a fist bump. “Anytime, my fun-sized friend.” With a laugh, he quickly got up and left before she could rip his arm out. 

Trini sighed, taking another sip of her drink. She pulled the paper out of her pocket, staring at the slanted handwriting, noting the small heart drawn above the “i”. 

Kimberly Hart. A girl she was told not to get involved with. A girl who made Trini’s brain malfunction. A girl who also had her own moments of nervousness. 

On one hand, pursuing anything would almost definitely result in Trini crying. Trini remembered that rumor in sophomore year, one that tore Gia’s reputation apart. Emma was the one to patch her up. Apparently Kim was the cause of that, and it seemed that none of them quite got over the incident.

On the other hand, Zack was right. Nothing serious had to come from it; it could just be a fling in her last year of high school. The problem with that, however, was Trini’s incapability of not catching feelings. If she ever gets intimate with anybody, she is bound to fall for them in some way. 

Zack was right about another thing, too. Despite Kimberly’s ugly past, she was stunning, and the girl knew it.

Trini knew it. She also knew that she wasn’t the best with making the best, logical choices. Screw it.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, opening up Instagram. Double checking the paper, she quickly found Kimberly’s account. Without a second thought, she sent her a direct message. 

  
**[trinig] to [kimhart]:** so there was a promise of a date?

**Author's Note:**

> Can anyone guess what fast food place Alpha's is based off? Also, the whole "I forgot my wallet" may or may not be based on a true story. Which may or may not have inspired this fic.
> 
> I think this works as a one shot, though I did sow the seeds for this to be a multi chapter fic. As of now I'll keep it as a one shot because if I want to continue it, I'll need to plan ahead because I'm a perfectionist. I'm also sorry if the characters act a little out of character. Like I said, I'm not much of a writer and I have been binge-ing a lot of different shows during quarantine lmao.
> 
> What'd you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Feedback is greatly appreciated :)


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